Responding to Child Sexual Abuse
“Hi Sally, I’m Dr. Rick.” No response. I invited her in. She lowered her head and stood silently. The video camera was rolling. The microphone in the nearby potted plant was on. Sally’s parents waited anxiously outside in the waiting room. Authorities were collecting evidence from 3 ½ year old Sally. Allegedly she was sexually abused by her 16-year-old cousin. (Most children are abused by family members or close friends and very rarely by a stranger.) Sally’s initial interview was unsuccessful – She wouldn’t talk. As an expert interviewer, it was now my turn to try and collect “evidence”. What To Do Next When you suspect sexual abuse you have two responsibilities: Helping the child and Reporting to legal authorities. Reporting To Legal Authorities When
Has Your Child or Grandchild Been Sexually Abused?
Soft is the Heart of a Child The mother called my office about her 8 year old boy, Billy. Billy had been acting differently in recent weeks, particularly after his visits with his father, her ex-husband. Billy’s grades had dropped. A few weeks ago she received a call from the school because of inappropriate sexual comments he had made on the playground. During primary class last Sunday Billy drew genitalia on a picture he made of Joseph Smith’s first vision. And now he was having nightmares almost every night. The mother concluded by saying, “I asked him what was wrong? And he said, ‘Nothing.’ ” The shame and guilt experienced by a child who has been sexually abused is significant. Behavior and emotional
